Chapter 23: Mordin's Legacy
It's a cold, hard truth that the universe doesn't sit idly by and twiddle its cosmic thumbs just because you've suffered a terrible loss. Things still have to be done. So even though I was still grieving from Mordin's loss, I still had to write up a report and file it off.
At least Hackett was nice enough to wait until after our impromptu service before asking for a virtual face-to-face. "Hell of a thing you just pulled off, Commander," he began. "Curing the genophage?" He shook his head in amazement. "I never thought I'd see the day."
"Wrex has agreed to help the turians, Admiral," I said. We should get the full support of both the krogan and the turians now."
"Yes, I read your report. I take it that leaves the salarians out of the equation."
"Official Salarian Union support? Perhaps. But the cost of their support was too high, sir."
"Well, I'll defer to your judgment on that, Commander. Let's hope we don't need them."
See, that's the thing I liked about Hackett. Yeah, he had a bad habit of dropping random assignments on me, but he would ultimately trust the decisions of his subordinates—even if he had reservations. I'd met plenty of REMFs who loved second-guessing their underlings without any clue of what was going on in the field, so it was nice to avoid that headache. (1) "If nothing else, we have the support of at least one STG regiment and one group of Spectres, each led by a respected salarian," I offered.
"There is that. Keep me posted on further developments, Commander. Hackett out."
Primarch Victus, Garrus and Miranda were waiting for me in the War Room when I finished my chat with Hackett. "Commander," Victus greeted me. "Urdnot Wrex has already begun sending troops to Palaven."
Damn. Wrex wasn't wasting any time: it had been less than a day since we'd cured the genophage and he was already hard at work. Guess he wasn't kidding when he said the krogan 'were back in business.'
"You kept your end of the bargain and now I'll keep mine. The Turian Hierarchy will stand with humanity against the Reapers."
We shook hands to make it official. "I'm glad we can help each other out," I replied. "It's the only way we're going to defeat the Reapers."
"That much is certain," he agreed. "To that end, several dry-dock ships are ready to help build the Crucible. Garrus will coordinate them."
"Yes, sir," Garrus agreed.
We looked at the holo-table, which was currently showing an image of the half-built Crucible. "And when the time comes to deploy it," Victus continued, "the full measure of our fleets will be there for Earth. May the spirits watch over us all."
"Now that he's secured krogan aid, Victus is heading back to Palaven to oversee the war effort," Garrus said. "I'll start managing turian support right away."
"Then I guess this is farewell for now," I realized. "It's been a pleasure working with you, Primarch. Good luck out there."
"Likewise, Commander," he returned, shaking my hand again. "We'll talk again soon."
With that, the two turians left. "Well done, Shepard," Miranda said. "You must be exhausted. Mordin dying… it can't be easy."
I smiled wanly. "I'll sleep when this war is over. Or when I'm dead."
"Not funny!" she said sharply. "We both know you need a clear head to win a war. You've been going non-stop since Earth. There's no room for mistakes here. You need some rest."
"Are you giving me an order?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "Last I checked, you weren't in the Alliance."
"Call it a suggestion," she sniffed, "from someone with a vested interest in your success and well-being. Seriously, Shepard. You need sleep. I know sometimes it feels like you're the only one who can do anything about the Reapers, but you're not. You have me and Garrus and an entire crew ready and willing to help. So let us help. Please."
A wise man knows when to throw in the towel and give up. "I suppose forty winks won't hurt."
"Or more. Get some shut-eye. I'll make sure Lieutenant Moreau doesn't launch any suicide missions."
Funny. "Fine. But if anything happens, you let me know."
I found myself in a dark forest. All the trees were stripped bare of their leaves. Didn't take a botanist to recognize that they were dying.
There were dozens of people around me. I couldn't see their faces. What they were wearing. Any identifying features, really. They were just… shadows. Watching me. Whispering incessantly.
Then I saw this kid in a light grey hoodie. It was the kid who had been playing on the rooftops while I was being court-martialed. The kid who hid in the ventilation shaft of a building when the Reapers hit Earth. Some part of me knew he had also died trying to flee Earth. But I found myself running towards him nonetheless, trying to change the past. To strike one lost soul off my guilty conscience.
"Now go back and get the lieutenant and get the hell out of here," Ashley's disembodied voice echoed. "You know it's the right choice, LT."
A Reaper blared out in the distance. The forest lit up with a harsh red glow. Startled, the kid jumped to his feet and ran. I chased after him. Or I tried. I felt like my hardsuit was malfunctioning or some cruel force had strapped weights on my legs.
As I tried to keep up with the kid, the number of trees started to drop. Maybe we were reaching the end of the forest. Though the whispering wouldn't stop. Why wouldn't the whispers stop? "Someone else might have gotten it wrong," Mordin's voice said aloud, briefly drowning them out.
A half dozen shadowy figures floated in front of me. I dodged around them, not wanting to find out what might happen if I touched any one of them.
"Shepard…"
The kid reached the edge of the forest and disappeared. I burst out of the foliage a second later. My mouth dropped.
We were at the Shroud. On Tuchanka. Only there were no forests on Tuchanka. Hell, the scant amount of plant-life we saw in the city of the ancients was an anomaly. Where did that forest come from?
Casting that thought aside, I looked for the kid. He was running for the elevator.
Oh no. The elevator. If he took the elevator up, he wouldn't be coming down! I picked up the pace, trying to catch up to him.
But I was too late. The doors closed. I banged my fists on the elevator doors in futility. All I heard in reply was the sound of the kid laughing in innocence and those damn whispers in my ears. The car slowly went up, taking the kid to the top of the Shroud.
"My xenoscience studies range from urban to agrarian," Mordin sang, "I am the very model of—"
Mordin's voice was cut off by the explosion. The kid's laughter stopped abruptly. The Shroud collapsed in slow motion.
But the cloud of miracles never spread out from the tower. The cure was never deployed. The krogan were still doomed.
And the whispers just kept coming, gnawing their way into my brain, taunting me with my many failures…
With a gasp, I jerked awake.
I had been going over daily reports on the couch in my quarters. Must've dozed off. And had yet another nightmare. If I concentrated, I could still hear the whispers echoing. I shakily put down the datapad I'd been holding with a death grip, got to my feet and staggered to the bathroom.
Turning on the tap, I splashed some cold water on my face. It didn't do much to wake me up. Seeing my reflection in the mirror, I quickly turning away. If I looked long enough, I might not like what I saw. In the distance, I heard the door chime. "It's open," I called out.
"Shepard?" It was Liara.
What now? "Yeah?"
She must have picked up on something in my voice. "Is this a bad time?" she asked carefully.
"Thinking of some friends who aren't around, thanks to this war," I admitted.
"That's thanks to the Reapers, not you," Liara was quick to remind me. "Are you thinking about anyone in particular?"
"Ashley, back on Virmire," I started. "She gave her life stopping Sovereign. I wonder what she'd make of fighting a whole fleet of Reapers. And the armies of husks and Cannibals and worse."
"If I had to guess," Liara said, "Ashley would call it… target practice."
I smiled. "Yeah. Sounds like her." Taking a deep breath, I wiped the water off my face with a towel. "Then there's Mordin."
"From what I saw, he would call it problematic, along with several multi-syllable descriptors, before beginning multiple experiments. All while talking at a million words per minute."
"Good call," I chuckled. Somehow, I felt better. Funny how that happened. (2) Leaving the bathroom, I saw Liara leaning against my desk. "All right. Didn't you have something for me?" I prompted.
"Yes," she nodded. "Ms. Wong was hoping to have an interview with you. I thought I'd pass the message along since I was heading up anyway."
"Thanks," I nodded. "For everything."
"Any time," she smiled.
After she left, I turned on the comm. "Emily, it's Shepard. I understand you'd like an interview."
"I sure would. You cured the genophage! This is breaking news. Huge. Everyone knows about it, or will know about it, so you can't hush it up for 'galactic security' reasons. And remember: that's what I'm here for!"
She had a point. Several points. Besides, I'd been keeping the lid on things and forcing her to report about the loss of city after city, colony after colony—that or stupid puff pieces about MREs. Not to mention blowing her off when she asked for an exclusive three years ago. I kinda owed her one after all that.
More importantly, maybe this was my chance to tell my side of the story instead of repeating it to one or two people over and over and over again. "All right. Come on up."
Emily quickly arrived, combing her hair as she entered my quarters, while the camera drone tried its best to blind me. Then she cleared her throat. "You've just implemented a cure for the genophage," she began. "Millions of krogan will start fighting the Reapers. What do you say to people who think humanity is starting another Rachni War and Krogan Rebellions?"
"I didn't implement the cure," I corrected. "Not alone, anyway. I had the help of my squad—a multi-species unit dedicated to fighting the Reapers and aiding the galaxy at large. I had the help of Mordin Solus, a salarian scientist who dedicated the last few months to curing the genophage and gave his life to see it through. I had the backing of the Systems Alliance, the Primarch of the Turian Hierarchy and the chief of the largest and most influential krogan clan.
"And why did so many people, from so many different races and backgrounds do this? Because we're all tired of treading the same old sorry ground. It's easy to remember the worst of krogan history, but you also need to remember the best."
"Meaning?"
"The krogan aren't just mindless, bloodthirsty savages. They're capable of so much more. On Tuchanka, I walked through an ancient city that belonged to their ancestors and was taken aback by what I saw. The artwork that they carved and painted on their walls. The architectural marvels that they built. The statues and monuments that they erected. They were capable of so many great things. And they still are.
"Once, the krogan were celebrated as heroes to the galaxy. They want to be heroes again. We just have to be open to the possibilities and give them that chance."
"You mentioned a clan chief earlier. That would be Urdnot Wrex of Clan Urdnot?"
"That's right," I confirmed.
"Are you aware that Clan Urdnot is already petitioning the Council for an embassy and rights to a colony world?" Emily asked.
"The krogan are coming to the aid of a Council homeworld—Palaven—in their hour of greatest need, despite centuries of animosity and prejudice. That's more than a lot of species can say. As for any petitions: maybe those kinds of negotiations could lead to greater cooperation and accountability. Who knows? I helped the krogan find a cure to the genophage. Anything more is between them and the Council."
"There it is, straight from Commander Shepard," Emily concluded. "Until tomorrow, this is Emily Wong, reporting from the Normandy. Good night and stay strong." She tapped an icon on her omni-tool and the lights on the camera drone shut off.
"That's it?" I asked. "That was, what a minute?"
"The most important minute," Emily said. "Now I just have to cut that together with the rest of the segment and send it to command for approval."
"I hope it was enough," I said.
"It beats the hell out of reporting on the Milgrom City Council—that's on Bekenstein, by the way. Or the evolution of MREs over the last couple centuries. This… this is amazing stuff. And trust me: I got what I needed. If not, I know where to find you."
No sooner had she left than EDI contacted me. "Commander, Admiral Hackett would like to talk to you."
Again? "All right," I sighed. "Re-route the signal to my quarters."
A quiet ping signalled that Hackett was waiting for me. With the touch of a button, my display case of model ships darkened. Hackett's face popped up a second later. "Shepard, I know you've done the impossible, but I need your help."
Of course he did. "Go on."
"Urdnot Wrex reports that his scouts have found Cerberus forces on Tuchanka. We're not sure if they're new troops that just landed or stragglers from the force sent to detonate the turian bomb. Either way, they've been seen away from the main battlefields. Their target seems to be an ancient ground-to-space cannon facility that hasn't been used since the Krogan Rebellions. If Cerberus manages to repair and reactivate the cannons, we could have a problem. Unfortunately, the krogan are spread too thin to deal with it."
"And since we haven't broken orbit yet, you'd like us to stop them," I concluded.
"Exactly. And find out what they're up to while you're at it."
"We'll see to it," I nodded.
"Hackett out."
Any doubts about Cerberus managing to fix the cannon were soon dispelled. "Looks like Cerberus got that cannon operational, Commander!" Cortez said, calmly manoeuvring the shuttle to avoid getting hit—an impressive feat considering how clunky and sluggish the Kodiak was. "I'll go back up and get a read on what they're shooting at."
"You mean they're not shooting at us?" I asked as the hatch opened.
"Not until the last couple shots, no."
Huh. "Okay, get on it." Cortez flew away as soon as the squad hopped out. "All right, let's find the control room for those cannons," I said. "Kill anything in our way."
"Sounds simple enough," Garrus replied.
The first target wasn't looking in our direction. Which meant it was embarrassingly easy to drop him. Unfortunately, that alerted his buddies. "We've got resistance here!" we heard one of them yell out. That guy was the next to meet my sniper rifle.
Cortez chose that time to give me a sitrep. "Commander, I have a visual on an inbound Cerberus cruiser. The cannon fire is clearing the way. If that ship makes it to bombardment range, the krogan could be in big trouble!"
"Hey Commander," Joker piped in, "you want us to do something about that?"
As EDI and Liara blew another trooper to smithereens, I shook my head. Then I remembered Cortez and Joker couldn't see me. "Negative. We still need to know why Cerberus is here. For now, just keep track of it."
Cerberus started sending troops down a nearby ramp, so we got busy doing what we did best. Garrus sniped another trooper while Miranda stripped a Centurion of his shields. James promptly hit him with a concussive round, then joined Javik in pinning troopers down with particle fire. Garrus and I dropped a couple more troopers while EDI and Liara did a one-two punch on their buddy. Then we saw a Cerberus combat engineer and another Centurion sneaking around. Teams Two and Three took care of the former and latter, respectively.
Then I felt some bullets bounce off my shields. A trooper was trying to flank us. I took his head off before dropping a fireball on another trooper that was doing a really good job of hiding. Another Centurion came along and soon joined his buddies on the floor. Same with the next assault trooper. Yet another Centurion tried approaching, but two shots from my sniper rifle were enough to take him down.
"Team Three, make sure no one else gets down that ramp," I ordered. "Teams One and Two, let's move up."
With Garrus and Javik preventing anyone from joining the party, it was child's play for us to slowly advance and take out the remaining hostiles in our area. "Call in reinforcements!" one of them had time to yell before I gave him a third nostril. "Fall back to the control room!" I heard over the comm a second later. EDI must have hacked into their communications. I glimpsed some movement as someone ran back up the ramp and into the room at the top.
Checking my HUD, I quickly followed. There was a combat engineer there. Using my targeting sensors, Miranda managed to fry his shields. My plasma took care of the rest. I quickly swept through what was apparently the control room. No more hostiles. "Control room secure," I reported. "Team Three, stay up here and make sure Cerberus doesn't sneak in. Teams One and Two, sweep the area. Clear it of hostiles and snatch up anything useful."
Within a few minutes, Garrus and I had found some Armax Arsenal gauntlets, a med-kit and lots of credits and more than enough thermal clips to replace the ones we'd spent. I also found something interesting. "Not the kind of krogan relic I expected to find," I commented.
"What is it?" Liara asked.
"Some old schematics for a power grid," I said, downloading the specs. "Could come in handy."
There wasn't anything else worth grabbing, so we returned to the control room. "Guys, I think it's time to test this cannon," I proposed.
Unfortunately, we were in the midst of acquiring a target solution when the screens suddenly went dark. "They cut power to the console," EDI realized.
"They're also shuttling in reinforcements," Miranda saw, pointing to a Cerberus shuttle hovering nearby, "fortifying their position."
"Team Two, hold down the fort here," I instructed. "Teams One and Three will deal with our guests and restore power." Moving to a ledge, I crouched down and lifted my sniper rifle. Through the scope, I could see two hostiles jumping down, slowing their descent with boot thrusters. Both of them had shields. One of them was a Centurion.
The other was dressed in black from head to toe and carried a sniper rifle. An enemy sniper, eh? I know who I wanted to target first. I took out the sniper's shields with a shot from my sniper rifle before setting her on fire. Liara's biotics finished the job. Meanwhile, EDI began to target the Centurion with an EMP, saw that his shields had already been drained from the incendiary explosion that took out his comrade and set him on fire instead.
Scooting ahead under cloak, I saw a Centurion crouched behind a couple crates. Using my target telemetry, Garrus fried his shields and I set him on fire. One shot from yours truly led to one more kill. Reloading, I saw three more guys slowly advance. I managed to drop two of them before I had to reload again. Then I sniped another trooper—who was gingerly stepping over his dead buddy—had EDI drain another Centurion's shields and barbequed the Centurion with a fireball. Meanwhile, Garrus spotted a combat engineer and a Centurion approach. He quickly took out the engineer before he could cause any trouble, then zapped the Centurion's shields. Javik took care of the rest.
More trouble came knocking. Liara swept up a few troopers in a singularity while EDI drained yet another Centurion's shields. I barbequed the Centurion before joining Team One in taking lethal pot-shots at the floating troopers.
Soon, we'd established a deadly kill zone. Any Cerberus operative who came in with shields soon found himself without them, either from an EMP or due to a high-velocity round. Anyone who didn't have any extra projection soon found himself hammered with biotics, plasma or bullets. A couple dozen hostiles went down before some bright idiot observed that they were encountering resistance.
Once the stream of Cerberus goons trickled to a halt, I decided to take the fight to the enemy. Scooping some valuable-looking junk along the way for future salvage, I led the team in the general direction that all those troopers and Centurions were coming from. It wasn't long before we came across a room where four hostiles were holed up. A large broken window on our side gave us ready access to them and there was a door on the other side. I quickly motioned for Team Three to move to the door so we could flank them from both sides. They quickly scurried away.
About a minute later, Garrus's signal blinked out, then came back on. He was in position. I selected targets with my HUD and set a countdown timer. On zero, EDI and Liara blew an assault trooper apart with biotics and plasma. I took out another trooper with my sniper rifle. Garrus and Javik dispatched a combat engineer before he could get any funny ideas. I blew a third trooper's head off.
"Clear!" Garrus reported.
I hopped through the window into the room and began searching. It wasn't long before I found the two power modules for the cannon and turned them back on.
"You're cutting it close, Commander," Cortez warned. "If you can't take out the cruiser, the Normandy should really intervene."
"Cerberus cut power to the cannon's control room," I replied. "I just rerouted the power back to the main console. Heading back now."
Of course, we'd barely made it into another room in the facility before Miranda got on the comm with some bad news: "Shepard, a few shuttles just buzzed the control room. It appears they're heading your way."
"We'll deal with them," I replied. "Meanwhile, get the cannon back online and start acquiring a targeting solution on that cruiser."
At first, it looked like all of them were climbing down a ladder and into the room we were in. We took them out like fish in a barrel. Things got tricky when they began coming in one by one through a side door.
Then they came in force from both entrances—not to mention a couple Guardians coming down a separate ramp. Multiple hostiles from three different vectors. "Team One take out the Guardians, Team Three deal with the other guys!" I ordered.
Liara yanked their shields away with her singularity, making it hilariously easy for us to dispatch them. Meanwhile, Garrus and Javik had distracted the other hostiles by biotically blowing up a poor trooper. That bought them enough time to start dropping troopers one by one—but not before one of them hurled a grenade. Which landed at my feet. "Grenade!" I yelled.
We jumped out of the way, EDI frying a combat engineer's shields as we found a new place to hide. Garrus began carving a hole in his hardsuit before I set him on fire. Then he and Javik began shooting at someone I couldn't see from my angle. So I amused myself by making assault trooper heads explode one by one. EDI and Liara pitched in, but they'd silently agreed to hold back so they could get the jump on any Centurions or combat engineers who strolled along. A good plan, I thought, so I let them continue.
I spotted another Guardian sneak down, hiding behind a shield that had seen a lot of combat. Unfortunately for him, that shield still had a slit that I could shoot through. After dropping him, I launched a fireball at a trooper that was hiding behind what he thought was adequate cover. Liara hit him with her biotics shortly after while Garrus drained a Centurion's shields. Javik used his biotics to finish him off.
Seeing EDI open fire, I moved position and saw yet another Guardian. He went down like the rest. So EDI dropped an EMP on a combat engineer, who didn't realize how vulnerable he was until I set him on fire. We were too busy finishing of another trooper to watch him roll on the ground in a futile effort to extinguish the flames.
Sniper shot. Fireball. Fireball. Sniper shot. Sniper shot. Fireball. Sniper shot. All in a matter of seconds. Good thing I'm not the kinda guy to notch his kills on the barrels of his weapons, or I'd have run out of room by now. (3) Judging by the sheer amount of biotics, plasma and bullets flying around, the other teammates were racking up just as many kills.
"Shepard, I'm afraid we've been interrupted by Cerberus troops storming the control room," Miranda told me over the sound of gunfire. "We're all right, but perhaps you could stop fooling around and get back here so we can get a lock on that cruiser."
"Yes, dear." Then I realized what I'd said.
"Um… sir?" James said. "You do know that wasn't a private channel, right?"
Damn it! Instead of replying, I had EDI zap a Centurion so I could set him on fire. Liara took out a few troopers who were caught in yet another singularity while Garrus and Javik finished off a combat engineer. Checking my HUD, I was surprised to see there were no more hostiles. But I wasn't complaining. Jokes or no jokes, Team Two might need some backup.
As it turned out, they had things under control. The last goon was slumping to the floor just as we stumbled into the control room. "Took you long enough," Miranda said sweetly, softening her words with a wink. Ignoring all the mutterings and occasional cat-calls, I went to the main console and began tapping controls.
"Commander," Cortez said urgently, "Cerberus cruiser initiating bombardment!"
"Not for long," I replied. "Cannon control restored. Targeting enabled." I was about to initiate a target scan when I realized there was a faster way: "Coordinates, Lieutenant!"
"Uploaded."
I transferred the data to the cannon controls. Sure enough, it acquired a target. "Firing!" I barked.
Two dull thuds rang out. We waited for what we hoped would be good news.
It was. "Direct starboard hit, Commander! Target breaking up. Repeat: direct hit."
"We can see that," I replied. On the main console's screen, we could see the cruiser falling apart. "That's a beautiful sight!" Garrus cheered.
"All right," I said. "Good work, everyone. Cortez, sending you a NavPoint for pickup."
"Yes, sir."
I contacted Hackett on the vid-comm soon as I got back. He was pleased to hear my good news. "Shepard, with those krogan cannons operational, Cerberus has actually given us the advantage in that system. The enemy's pulling back, but we think they'll try to seize the facility again."
"Seems likely," I admitted. "Especially now that we know how effective they are. They may be old, but they sure as hell pack a punch."
"I'm sending an Alliance team to keep it secure. They've got a foothold in a strong defensive position, thanks to you."
"Just doing my job, sir," I shrugged. "By the way: does Wrex know about this?"
Hackett gave a knowing smile. Guess it wasn't the first time I used that response. (4) "In the spirit of cooperation, Wrex has agreed to let us establish a small garrison so he can concentrate on deploying more troops to Palaven."
"How is that going?" I wanted to know. "It's only been a day, but…"
"Believe it or not, the turians and krogan actually seem to be getting along," he replied. "Urdnot Wrex hasn't wasted any time deploying troops. Only a couple squads have reached Tuchanka, but they've already managed to give the Reapers a moment of pause."
"What about the salarians and the asari?" I asked.
"The salarians are still hanging on to Sur'Kesh, but the Reapers are starting to breathe down their necks," he sighed. "And the asari? Well, they have to be feeling the heat. We've detected Reaper signatures moving fast with the obvious intent of taking Thessia. The asari have been launching hit-and-run attacks, but it's only a delaying tactic. Interestingly, the Reapers are leaving Parnack alone. That's the yahg homeworld."
That brought up memories of the previous Shadow Broker. "Can't say that I blame them," I grinned. "Yahg have teeth."
"Well if we lose this war, it might be them running the next cycle. It's easy to forget the Reapers don't destroy every species."
"Just the ones who can threaten them," I agreed. The yahg might not be a big enough threat right now, but the one yahg I'd met had proven to be incredibly smart and alarmingly tough. Yeah, they'd definitely be the top dog if we couldn't stop the Reapers in this cycle. "Any word on the other Citadel races?"
"The turians and krogan sent forces to the volus homeworld, Irune. It might not be enough, but at least they've got Reaper forces bogged down in a nasty ground war. As for the elcor, they're still in the fight, though our projections show the Reapers will be encroaching on their territory soon."
"What happened to the batarians?"
Hackett shook his head. "Never stood a chance. Hit by the Reapers straight out of the gate. And without any allies to call on… I think the batarians are history."
Oh God. Even more proof, if any was needed, that we couldn't do this alone. "Have we heard anything from the quarians or the geth?"
"Something might be brewing near the geth border, but our intel is sketchy," Hackett admitted. "News is harder to come by as things get worse."
"All right," I said. "That's how the other races have been doing. Have any of them given us aid?"
"The krogan and turians have obviously been a big help," he replied. "They've been sending various teams and assets, but that flow has increased substantially in the last twenty hours or so. Urdnot Wrex running the show is a bonus for us. And that female krogan you rescued is rallying more support from the other clans. I'm glad you disabled that bomb on Tuchanka. We could've lost a lot of krogan support. As it is, we earned their favour and picked up some turian troops."
"Good to hear," I smiled. "What about the rachni?"
"I wouldn't have believed it, but the rachni are helping us build the Crucible. An asari contacted us, acting as an intermediary and helped set the whole thing up. Turns out they have a knack for weapons of mass destruction. In hindsight, I guess they'd know a thing or two about waging a galactic war."
Miranda had said that earlier, but it was nice to hear confirmation from Hackett. "No problems with them, then?"
"Other than scaring the hell out of our engineers, no. Not a lot of small talk going on there."
"How about the salarians?" I wanted to know.
"Interesting wrinkle: remember your comment about having at least one STG regiment backing us? I'd revise that number upward: we've been getting back-channel commitment from the strike teams within STG. They're promising to support us."
"Even after I cured the genophage?"
"Our intel suggests there are cracks developing between the military and the politicians. These STG guys know the score. They're not going to jeopardize the entire Salarian Union just because some dalatrass didn't get her way. Probably doesn't hurt that your friend, Major Kirrahe, put in a good word for us."
See? It pays to have friends in high places. Though I may have 'accidentally' sent a copy of my chat with Dalatrass Crankypants to Kirrahe. Somehow, I doubt the STG appreciated the dalatrass leaking the coordinates and security protocols of one of their bases to Cerberus, thereby causing the deaths of so many of their colleagues. "Any word from the private military corporations?"
Hackett knew I meant 'mercs' and he knew who had helped set that up. "Aria T'Loak…" he shook his head in amazement. "There's someone I never thought we'd be in bed with. The Blood Pack will be useful—and violent. Mostly vorcha, I hear."
Yeah, most of the krogan members who hadn't already returned to Tuchanka when they heard their homeworld was being invaded would be heading back now that the genophage was cured. Funny how that worked.
"We'll put the Blue Suns to good use too. From what I hear, Darner Vosque and his men are gunning for a fight. As for Eclipse, they've provided plenty of troops and mechs. When we find a Reaper soft spot, they'll help us hit it. Don't want to know how you got Aria's cooperation, but whatever you did, it was worth it. Was there anything else you needed?"
"One more thing," I admitted. "While I've got you on vid-comm: what's our state of readiness, Admiral?"
Hackett didn't mince words. "I won't lie, Shepard: we're bogged down. Despite the pledges of aid we've accumulated, things aren't looking good in most sectors. We need to increase the temp and chalk up some more wins. Otherwise… this won't end well for the human race. Or any race."
Well, all that good news had to end sometime. "Then I guess I better get back to work, sir."
"Keep me posted. And Shepard: you've done a hell of a job so far. I know it's tough, but keep up the good work."
"Thank you, sir."
I decided now was as good as any to start my latest rounds. As I went through the security screens outside the War Room, part of me was expecting to overhear another chat between Campbell and Westmoreland.
Sure enough, they were passing the time with small talk. "Bethany, you see the vids of the maw taking down the Reaper? Man, I wish I could've been there!"
Spoken like someone who didn't have a clue.
"I'm just glad the diplomats are off the ship," Westmoreland admitted. "A krogan and a turian in the same room is a fight just waiting to happen."
True enough. Though they managed to work things out in the end.
My first stop was the cockpit. To my surprise, EDI wasn't there and Garrus was there keeping Joker company. Something about this war seemed to prompt people to mingle a little more. (5) "Never thought I'd see the krogan and the turians team up," Joker said when he saw me. "Even the Reapers have to be a little nervous about pissing them off."
"I'd say more than a little," Garrus boasted.
All I could do was silently nod in agreement. Joker guessed why I was so quiet. "I'm sorry about Mordin."
"He was a good man," I said.
"Yeah, he was always running those tests," Joker grinned. "One time, he called me in the middle of the night to ask how many livers humans had. And this bump on my elbow?" He raised his left arm and pointed at the offending site. "He said it was just mild bone deformation, but I'm pretty sure he stuck a probe in there."
"Glad it was just your elbow," I chuckled. "And you're lucky that's all he did."
"I always thought he was crazy," Garrus put in. "Useful, but crazy. Then he gives up his own life…"
"To save the krogan," Joker pointed out. "Doesn't do much to disprove the crazy theory, huh?"
"I guess not," Garrus admitted. "But he was one of ours."
We were silent for a moment. "So now that we've got the krogan and the turians… what now?" Joker asked.
"The krogan help us turn the tide on Palaven," Garrus said firmly. "They can shoot at something useful for a change."
"Dig 'till we hit daylight, huh?" Joker shrugged. "Works for me."
Garrus turned to me. "So how does it feel, knowing krogan will be singing songs about you until the end of time? I'd think it would be an honour."
"There's enough misery in this universe," I replied. "The last couple months have proven that, if nothing else. It's nice to see something go right for a change."
"Can't say I've ever really witnessed history in the making like this. Well, except for Sovereign attacking the Citadel," he amended when I raised an eyebrow. "And then there was the Collector Base. But… this one felt good. Let's hope Wrex keeps running the show on Tuchanka. Maybe we should hire a food-taster for him. Imagine the carnage if someone like that brother of his, Wreav, took over."
"It could happen," I warned.
"I know. It's a chance we have to take. I wonder where all the krogan will live now? I've never seen what you'd call a house on Tuchanka."
"There were all those cities," I reminded him. "Maybe they'll build a couple more of those."
"Maybe." Garrus paused for a moment. "Shepard… I have to say, I don't know how you do it. Keep your convictions, I mean. If it wasn't my own world that needed the help… I might've taken that deal."
In other words, if he was in my shoes, he was admitting he might've made a different choice. It said something that he was willing to be that honest with me. "It's tempting," I acknowledged. "But I could never bring myself to do that, no matter what I was offered."
"I admire your restraint, Shepard," he said. "It's nice when we can save the galaxy without destroying another race along the way."
"Let's hope our luck holds," I replied.
He clapped a hand on my shoulder before walking back to join Joker. "Now where were we?" he asked. "Oh, right. My turn: what's the first order an Alliance commander gives at the start of combat?"
"Uh… I give up," Joker tried.
"Correct!"
Joker and I both snorted. "All right, big guy," Joker said, "what do you call it when a turian gets killed by a horrible spiky monster?"
"Friendly fire," Garrus answered immediately. "Come on, that one goes back to Shanxi." (6)
"Hey, you gotta respect the classics," Joker insisted.
Garrus just shook his head. "How many humans does it take to activate a dormant mass relay?"
"602: 600 to vote on it, one to ask the asari for technical help and one to request a seat on the Council afterward. How do you know when a turian is out of ammo?"
"He switches to the stick up his ass as a backup weapon."
All right. Garrus and Joker might've been passing jokes back and forth to pass the time, but that last one seemed awfully self-deprecating.
"Why does the Alliance hire pilots with brittle bone disease?"
Joker stared at him. "You're shitting me. The turian military has one about me?"
"Oh, absolutely." The straight look on Garrus's face was so genuine, I almost applauded. "I heard it myself from a private back on Palaven."
"All right, why does the Alliance hire pilots with brittle bone disease?"
"So their marines can beat someone in hand-to-hand drills."
Give it to Joker: he could see the funny there. "Damn, you need to tell James that one. Hey what's the hardest part about treating a turian who took a rocket to one side of his face?"
"Figuring out which side took the rocket," Garrus replied.
Shaking my head in amusement, I went to see Traynor. She told me of another assignment Hackett had pulled out from… somewhere. I told her to send the details to Miranda, figuring her team might be able to pitch in.
"Understood, Commander. Also, you'll be pleased to know the turians have given us top-level access to their combat data. Their ships are already moving in to help the Alliance fleets."
"That is good news," I said, making a mental note to ask Miranda where we were at. I was about to go when I saw Traynor wasn't quite done yet. "Was there something else?"
"You actually secured a krogan-turian alliance," she marvelled. "It's one thing to hear about Commander Shepard… it's another to see him in action. Thank you again for letting me see all of this firsthand."
"You've earned it, Traynor," I told her before I left.
Since I hadn't seen Miranda in the War Room, I thought she might be in her old office. But Liara was the only one there. "Any sign of life, Glyph?"
Oh. Right. I guess Glyph was there, too. "The Reaper destroyed by the thresher maw labelled 'Kalros' appears to be completely inert, Doctor. We would need to send in teams to be sure."
"Out of the question," Liara said firmly, rightly fearing potential indoctrination and how it would undermine the first major gain we'd made so far in this war. "Tell the krogan to stay away."
After Glyph acknowledged Liara's order, I approached her and asked how she was doing. "Stunned," came the reply. "I mean… the genophage cured. The krogan have no reason to hold back now, do they? They won't let themselves fall by the wayside again, not like they did after the Rebellions. We'll have to get used to them having a bigger part in the galaxy."
"You seem worried," I observed. "Are you forgetting who's in charge down there?"
"Wrex knows what he's doing," Liara acknowledged, "but can he keep the krogan in check? Or will this be the start of another krogan empire?"
"There's Eve too," I reminded her.
"True. She's organizing the female krogan. You know, she reminds me of some of the more formidable matriarchs I've known."
"I could see why you'd say that," I agreed. "With her around, I'm sure they'll remember who they used to be."
"I hope so," Liara said. "I hope the krogan live up to their ancient legacy… for the better."
After a few more reassuring remarks, I continued on my way. I wound up finding EDI in the AI core room. "There you are. What are you up to now?"
"I am uploading data on the destroyed Reaper to the turians," she replied. "They are investigating possible Reaper structural weaknesses. Our data says Reaper capital ships such as Sovereign are of unique design. However, smaller Reaper destroyers bear similarities."
"So what we learn from the remains of the Reaper on Tuchanka might help us tackle the smaller ones." I stopped and thought about that. "Huh. Never thought I'd call it 'small'."
"Relatively, yes. Ground attack ships are only 160 metres in height. Sovereign was approximately two kilometres."
When you put it that way… "Well, keep talking to the turians," I told her. "If there's a chink in the Reapers' armour, we all need to know about it."
After chatting with Dr. Chakwas and a few others, I made my way to Deck Four. I started with Javik, figuring that would go pretty quickly. He wasn't exactly a chatty sort, after all. Boy would I be mistaken. "Commander," he greeted me.
"You settling in, Javik?" I asked.
He leaned over and washed his hands. "I believe some of the crew wishes to be my friend," he said over his shoulder. "That is not my purpose here."
Like I said: not exactly a chatty sort.
"Also, I find I need to wash my hands. The residue of this ship is strong."
Alliance regs were pretty strict about keeping things clean, so I figured he meant he kept picking up readings with his sensory ability and had to wash it away before it drove him batty. Good call on Liara's part to install that shallow pool there. Still, it was as good a topic of conversation as any: "How so?"
"I have been exploring. There are traces of those who lived on the Normandy before. I detected the human Miranda in the asari's dwelling. Her genetic structure was unnatural, as if artificially created."
At least he wasn't touching her. I really didn't relish the idea of teaching him about this cycle's view of sexual harassment. "Well, it was."
"And a drell. There was… illness in him."
"Thane. He's in the final stages of a terminal disease that's endemic to his people."
"And the krogan who lived in these quarters. The one you called Grunt. He was undergoing a…metamorphosis."
I had to try real hard not to imagine a giant butterfly with Grunt's ugly mug. Actually, on second thought, why not? The image was hilarious.
"His memories were confused… not organic to his mind. There was great confusion and turmoil."
"Grunt was artificially created. Most of his initial memories were implanted. He had a hard time reconciling that." I took a step forward. "You know, I still can't wrap my head around that—reading information like you do."
Javik looked mildly surprised. "For my people, it was as natural as breathing."
"Evolution's an amazing force, I guess." I mean, look at humanity. Once upon a time we were swinging around scratching our asses and now… actually, we still go around scratching our asses from time to time. Maybe we still have a ways to go.
"Our scientist believed it was the only force in the galaxy that mattered. They called it the 'cosmic imperative.' The strong flourished. The weak perished. The governments of your cycle seem concerned with ensuring the survival of all."
"Was this imperative just your scientists' opinion," I asked, "or did they prove something we don't know?"
"The universe had already proven it," he replied. "They only had to look around."
"And saw what, exactly?"
"Extinction is the rule of law in the cosmos, the natural order of things. The weakest species are doomed."
"You know, humans tried applying evolution to social policy too," I told him. "It didn't end well. Caused lots of unnecessary hardship. Suffering. Hatred. Death. And I think a lot of the other races found that out too. That's why we're trying to help everyone. It's the duty of the strong to protect the weak. Like now: do you know how much chaos and anarchy there would be if we let everyone fend for themselves?"
"But those who had nothing to offer would be eliminated."
"How do you know they have nothing to offer?" I asked. "Maybe a 'weak' species has a brilliant mind or two that could make a breakthrough, the kind of breakthrough that could unlock the secrets of the Crucible or revolutionize battlefield medicine. Maybe a 'weak' species has the metal alloys we need to build the Crucible or food stores to feed our troops on the front line."
"Then the strong should take what they need and leave the rest," Javik declared.
"So conflict should be a way of life?"
"Evolution demands it," he said firmly. "The strong grow stronger by dominating the weak. It is for the greater good of all."
"The greater good will be served by everyone helping each other insteadof trying to prove who's top dog," I insisted.
"You are not the first to disagree. I do not think your asari approves of my beliefs as well."
"Liara? I think she just had a different idea about what Protheans were like." (7)
Javik began washing his hands again. "We are all a product of our time," he said. Had I been born in this cycle, perhaps I would be the noble scholar she wishes me to be."
"You think you'd like that?" I asked. "It's a whole different line of work."
"I wouldn't know," he shrugged. Living a life of constant war, taking life in every battle…"
"Yeah," I commiserated. "It kinda takes a toll on you. After a while, all you see are allies and hostiles. Tactical and strategic objectives. Routes of ingress and egress. And if you spent your whole life doing that… I could see how it could be tough to see outside the box."
"It is the only 'box' I have known. It shapes me. As stone is shaped by the one who carves it. The stone has no choice in the form it will take. You and I, Commander… war is our sculptor. And we are prisoners to its design."
He was looking at that memory shard, the one we'd recovered from Eden Prime. Or maybe he was just lost in thought and happened to be staring in that general direction. "Maybe not much longer," I offered. "We win this and we'll both be set free."
"Again with your foolish optimism," he chided.
"That foolish optimism just united the krogan and the turians," I reminded him. "And got both of them on our side."
"At the expense of the lizard people—the salarians."
"They're on our side too. Some of them, anyway."
"If I had been in command, I would have accepted it and not told the krogan. Then you could gain support from all of the salarians and still use the krogan as cannon fodder against the Reapers."
"The krogan had been persecuted and driven to extinction for over a thousand years," I protested. "I'd fought alongside them during the toughest missions of my life. You really expect me to turn my back on them after all that?"
"Morality and friendship do not matter now. Your allies are simply resources to use against the Reapers."
"There's that 'inside the box' thinking again."
"It should never have come to this point. If the krogan seek retribution for the past, do not waste time on sterility plagues. Destroy them where they stand. Do not care what others think. Do what you must."
"Our allies are more than just resources, Javik," I sighed. "Being concerned about them, caring about them can mean the difference between reluctantly entering a hopeless battle and being motivated to go through that ordeal and come out the other side. Think of it as… as a psychological force multiplier. Think of how harder the krogan will fight now that they're cured of the genophage and have something to look forward to. Think of how they'll be more likely to support us and help us because we paved the way to deploying the cure. And that goes for all the other races too. Help them, let them help us and they'll be more willing to exchange squads. Fleets. Resources. Ideas. New perspectives. More options. Who knows?
"You say you're a prisoner to war's design. Well, try exploring something else. Learn something new, add it to who you are and let it make you better. I know it's hard. Like you said, you've known nothing but war. And it's hard to imagine anything else when you've just woken up, only to find yourself in another war. But there are other things out there. Just poke your head out and look. No one's asking you to change overnight. Just… try something different. Like everyone who's trying to chat with you and be your friend. You don't have to become instant best buddies or anything. But try talking to them. Who knows? You might pick up something."
Javik grunted. "I have already picked up something. Why do you think I keep washing my hands?"
"You're a neat freak?"
"You think you are funny, Commander. Is this the new perspective you talk about?"
"One of them," I shrugged. "Is it helping?"
Javik seemed skeptical of, well, everything. Which made sense. He'd spent a lifetime fighting a constant war, operating under a certain code and system of beliefs, for an empire that was crumbling all around him. Then he spent the last couple months in an entirely new universe. Where his people were all but extinct. Where he was expected to treat the people around him as equals instead of the primitives he knew them as one upon a time. He just didn't know how to cope, so he kept going back to his same old habits. I wish I knew how to help him, other than harass him during my rounds.
While I was pondering that riddle, I went to Engineering. Adams had nothing to report. Which meant most of my entertainment came from eavesdropping on the conversation between Ken and Gabby. "I'm not sure what to think about that little mech dog roaming the ship," Ken admitted.
"You mean Sophie?" Gabby asked. "I think she's cute."
'Sophie'? When did it—she—get a name? Mind you, it's not like I claimed ownership of the mech. Hell, I'd forgotten about the mechanical mutt since my first exploration of the Normandy. So if someone else wanted to give it—or her—a name, who was I to say no?
Ken scratched his head in bewilderment. "But what purpose does she serve?"
"I guess I just have a soft spot for worthless dogs. Look how long I've been with you."
Hah!
Last, but not least, was Deck Five. Cortez waved to me from the computer he used to keep track of requisition orders. Looked like he was going over the weapon rosters. "Shepard. Wish you could've seen that gun on Tuchanka firsthand. I cut the auditory emulators and watched that Cerberus cruiser gracefully and silently disintegrate. It was beautiful."
"Sometimes I worry about you, man," James frowned. "Hey Loco, I've been meaning to ask: you think that cure they dispersed could do anything to us? We're not gonna start growing scales or anything, are we?"
"If you do, make sure I'm the first to know," I said, only half-joking. "On second thought: tell Dr. Chakwas first. Then me."
"Copy that," James nodded. "You know, I was looking at the specs on the Reaper we tangled with on Tuchanka. That was one of the small ones? Don't get me wrong, it's still dead, but damn… there was nothing small about it."
"Tell me about it."
We shuddered in unison. Then James got a little more serious. "Commander? I just—we just wanted you to know that we're sorry about Mordin."
"We heard he was one of the guys who helped you take down the Collectors," Cortez added, "and, well, we know it hurts when one of your comrades-in-arms doesn't make it back."
"If you ever wanna blow off some steam, you know where to find us," James said.
"Thanks," I managed. "I just might take you up on that, one of these days. But I'll be okay. I think Mordin found some closure in the end and I will too. Eventually. Best thing I can do right now is make a couple modifications and upgrade a few things."
The two lieutenants gave me space—James started doing chin-ups and Cortez did some weekly maintenance on the shuttles—while I got to work. After all the upgrades I'd been randomly scanning, it was time to make use of some of them.
One of the best things of the N7 Armor is that it's so modular. You can customize it to suit your skill set, your preferences and what kind of conditions you might expect on the battlefield. And many companies knew that too—so they produced items geared to be compatible.
Like the Mnemonic Visor from Aegohr Munitions—which I technically picked up at Grissom Academy instead of buying it. I'd been using it ever since. The visor plugged into my suit's sensors, gathering tactical data and using it to augment the VI's response protocols so I could move faster and perform with greater strength than normal.
Or the Serrice Council chestplate. Swapped out all those layers of thick, ablative ceramic or auxiliary power cell storage. Just the sort of thing to give my plasma a little extra oomph when setting hostiles on fire.
And then there's the gauntlets from Rosenkov Materials, whose microcomputers helped boost the efficiency of my armour telemetry and cloaking operational systems—which meant faster fireball shooting and quicker cloak recharging.
Finally, I went to Armax Arsenal for their leg armour. Which was basically a little less armour and a few more storage compartments for thermal clips. Because all the armour in the galaxy won't help you when you're out of ammo.
I know, I know. It's boring stuff. Nagging little details that only a handful of people would ever really care about. But I cared. Partly because I find that customization stuff fascinating and I really need to get a bigger social life. And partly because that kind of minutiae is the sort of thing that might get me out alive.
After I was satisfied with my hardsuit, I bought the fabrication rights for some weapon upgrades off the extranet. More nagging details that might lead to better weapons, which in turn might increase the chances of getting out alive. Though I have to say our chances were a lot better now.
Thanks to Mordin.
I found Miranda in the War Room. "There you are," I greeted her. "Didn't see you earlier."
"You just missed me."
"Well, yeah. The last time I saw you was when we were clearing that old krogan cannon on Tuchanka. Of course I miss you."
A look of dawning comprehension crossed her face. "Oh, you thought I meant—well, understandable. By that definition, I miss you too. No, I meant you literally missed me. I was helping Liara analyze some data when you were talking to Hackett in the War Room, then I was with Dr. Chakwas when you were talking to Liara and then I was here when you were doing your rounds. That's why you didn't see me earlier."
"Oh," was all I said. Then—"Wait. Dr. Chakwas? Are you all right?"
"What? Yes. Yes, of course. I was talking to her about a research paper that she, Mordin and I were authors on. It just got published."
"Wow!" I exclaimed. "Congratulations!"
"Thank you," she smiled, somewhat sadly. "It's… it's my first paper. And Mordin's last. So…"
"Yeah. I see." The joy and pride in that accomplishment had now been tempered by certain bittersweet memories. "Um, what are you working on?"
Miranda shot me a look that told me how obvious I was in changing the subject—and how grateful she was—before opening a file. "Assessing the latest additions to our allied forces. I understand you went to Feros during your investigation against Saren. During that time, you had to deal with the colony of Zhu's Hope, whose inhabitants had been enslaved by a plant known as the Thorian."
"Yeah," I nodded. "It had infected them all with spores that caused pain if they did anything it didn't like. Basically brainwashing by pain association. Saren was interested in the Thorian because it had also enslaved some Protheans, thus gaining an understanding of how to interpret and understand the messages from the Prothean beacon discovered on Eden Prime—what Liara called the Cipher. He sacrificed one of the indoctrinated asari following Matriarch Benezia to gain that information. I actually met her on Illium when we were prepping to stop the Collectors."
"Well it seems that asari is now leading a militia of Zhu's Hope colonists against the Reapers. They've been surprisingly effective and coordinated in battle—possibly due to their shared experiences with the Thorian."
"Maybe," I said thoughtfully. "She did say something about that when I last saw her."
"EDI says she sent you a message. Perhaps she provided further data?"
"She did?" I checked my e-mail. Sure enough, she had:
From: Shiala
Subject: Still fighting
Dear Commander Shepard:
I don't know if you've seen the articles, but the people of Zhu's Hope are fighting again. This time it's the Reapers instead of the geth.
I'm not sure if you remember me, but you helped me back on lllium. The Thorian is dead now. I can confirm that. But the spores in our bodies remain, and on some level, we are still connected.
This is not necessarily a bad thing. As we fight back the Reapers, we feel each other, and act with one mind, ignoring pain when the need arises. I'm sure I'm still indoctrinated. I remember Sovereign's voice in my mind when I went willingly to the Thorian as its thrall. But my connection to the people of Zhu's Hope is stronger. It drowns out the Reaper voices.
This situation is imperfect, and dangerous. Perhaps the colonists should separate, for their own safety. But with one mind, the untrained fight with the skill of veteran commandos. Our force is strong.
I have not forgotten how you helped us, how you spared me. We are leaving Feros soon, and when the time comes, we will fight with you.
Shiala
I showed Miranda the e-mail. "Talk about turning lemons into lemonade." (8)
"Agreed," she nodded. "No doubt they will be very effective. Meanwhile, you've no doubt heard about the swell of krogan support for both the turians and the Alliance. News of the cure for the genophage has effectively halted centuries of krogan infighting."
What a shocker. Funny how a little thing like having an actual future to fight for could unify them.
"Interesting fact: over the last ten years or so, Clan Urdnot has absorbed or wiped out Clans Nakor, Jurdon Quash and Raik—the latter apparently renowned for their legendary ferocity. Urdnot's predominance only accelerated with Wrex's return to Tuchanka following the Battle of the Citadel, news of Eve's—I'm sorry, Bakara's—existence and, of course, the cure."
"Why am I not surprised?" I smiled. "Well, that's a good thing for us considering we're on good terms with Wrex and Bakara. Anything that's good for Clan Urdnot's good for us right now."
"You might be interested to know that the number of clans drawn to follow Clan Urdnot's banner increased significantly after your interview with Emily Wong. It seems your positive stance towards the krogan had quite the impact."
"It did? Wait, it already aired?"
"Yes and yes."
Wow.
"Furthermore, several of the clans have contacted members who left Tuchanka years, even decades or centuries ago, to tell them about the cure and that you were responsible. Those krogan, who had been serving as bodyguards and mercenaries in the Terminus Systems, have since formed loose-knit mercenary bands to help fight the Reapers."
This kept getting better and better. "That's… that's great," I said, somewhat lamely. "Have we been able to acquire any more turian support?"
"Yes," Miranda nodded, pulling up another list of figures. Starting with the turian 43rd Marine Division. Formed during the Unification Wars, it maintains relations with the other Council races—asari, salarians and, more recently, the Alliance—through joint training exercises and similar activities. As a result, they've gained an unparalleled understanding of how their allies fight, which allow them to integrate with virtually any army on any battlefield. I believe Admiral Hackett was quite excited to acquire them." (9)
I'd say. The worst thing about reinforcements is the learning curve involved. New forces—from individual forces to larger groups such as squads or divisions—aren't familiar with how the armies they're assigned to function and operate. And you don't always have time to learn. Being able to skip that 'rookie step' is huge.
"The turians have also contributed two forces to the Crucible project. First is the Seventh Fleet—which has been assigned to guard the Crucible, conduct surveillance operations, coordinate security patrols with the Alliance and use their suite of VIs to run counter-intelligence programs. I'm told they are currently enjoying a high degree of morale after you returned a ceremonial banner to them.
"Second: the turian Engineering Corps. On Palaven, they're responsible for everything from sidewalk maintenance to spaceport construction. Recently, they gained intergalactic renown for their role in repairing the damage done to the Citadel by Sovereign. Now they have committed multiple teams to help build the Crucible. All in all, I'd say things are going—oof!"
I may have been a little happy. After fighting so hard and making so many sacrifices, to hear that it was actually worth it was overwhelming. So I may have been a little overwhelmed. I may have hugged Miranda in excitement.
And then I became acutely aware of who I was hugging.
"Uh—"
"Er—"
"Buh—"
"Um—"
"Ah—"
"Upstairs?"
"Now."
"Yeah."
"Go."
An hour or so later, Miranda was taking a shower while I was checking my e-mail. After despairing at how even a galactic war-to-end-all-wars couldn't cause even a temporary ceasefire of spam, I opened this e-mail.
From: Dalatrass Linron
Subject: Your regrettable decision
Commander, I am deeply disappointed by your actions on Tuchanka. As I thought I made clear, curing the genophage will have long-term consequences. Once the Reaper threat has passed, our combined forces will be so depleted that no race in the galaxy will be capable of stopping a resurgent krogan. Moreover, the krogan will undoubtedly seek revenge for the genophage, and the Salarian Union will be among their first targets. When that day comes, Commander, the blood of my people will be on your hands.
I am ashamed to also learn that our own scientist sacrificed his life carrying out your orders.
This is a dark day not only for my people, but all of galactic civilization.
Dalatrass Linron, Salarian Union
Apparently I'd honked off Dalatrass Crankypants big time. What a shame. My heart bleeds. Really. There were tears and everything. (10)
There was another e-mail that I would've opened for the subject line alone, but I had to pick another one. I hadn't heard from General Corinthus since I extracted Victus from Menae. Apparently he was still alive and kicking:
From: General Corinthus
Subject: Impressive work
Commander Shepard:
When you first arrived on Menae, I had a hard time seeing how you flying off with one of our best generals would benefit our fight against the Reapers. However, as I now watch turian and krogan fighters working together to take down a Reaper destroyer, I must admit I am impressed. You've brokered an alliance that many thought impossible.
Palaven might be saved after all.
With great respect,
General Corinthus
Menae Command
And Tuchanka. And Earth. Maybe all our worlds could be saved after all. Who knows?
Now I could open this one:
From: Urdnot Wrex
Subject: Making babies
Shepard:
Making babies again will be fun. Soon as this war is over, let's just say I'll do my part to build our numbers back up. You really came through for us. I'm proud to call you my friend.
Eve is in the Kelphic Valley, enlisting support from the other clans and spreading the word. She's going to be a great leader. Most of the males won't like me sharing power with her, but too bad. I run the show.
We're off to save the turians now, since apparently they forgot how to hold a gun.
Well, nice to know that playing such a pivotal role in curing the genophage hadn't gone to his head. There was one more e-mail in my inbox. I like to think I saved the best for last:
From: Urdnot Bakara
Subject: Hope lives
Commander.
I'm writing you from the Kelphic Valley on Tuchanka. I wish you were here to see this. I'm watching krogan pour in from across our entire planet, so many of them that I've lost count. They've all heard the news. We are finally free. The age of suffering is over. Never again will krogan be afraid to give birth. Never again will they fear the pain and heartache it might bring.
While I don't know what fate ultimately has in store for my people, I can promise you your decision to believe in us will not be in vain. We will fight the Reapers for more than glory. We will fight them because we know there is a future for us after victory. The rest of my life will be devoted to traveling Tuchanka and speaking aloud the words no krogan has heard for nearly 2,000 years: There is reason to hope. This, I owe to you, Commander. This, I will never forget.
For once, there was nothing I could say. No quip. No comment. No pearl of wisdom. All I could do was silently mouth five words: 'There is reason to hope.' For the krogan, for all of us: there was reason to hope. We owed all of that to Mordin. (11)
I was just closing my e-mail browser when EDI contacted me. "Shepard, the salarian councillor has an urgent matter."
"Really?" I sighed. "Let me guess: he's waiting in the Comm Room."
"Indeed."
"All right. I'm on my way." I got up just as Miranda stepped out, looking as stunning as always. "You heard?"
"I heard," she nodded. "The Council must be taking the Crucible seriously."
Somehow, I doubted it. "Maybe," was all I said. "I'll see you downstairs later."
"Of course."
Councillor Valern was indeed waiting for me. Must be a strange experience for him. "Commander, there is something we should discuss… if you are finished rewriting history."
Not surprisingly, he and Admiral Hackett didn't follow the same rulebook. "I made my decision, Councillor. There's not much anyone can do about it now."
"Yes," he sighed, "we're going to have billions more krogan in the galaxy, thanks to you. It's a good thing you saved my life once, Shepard. Otherwise… well."
Wait a second. Did he actually suggest that he was willing to accept what had happened because he couldn't turn back the clock and, more importantly, because he acknowledged that I rescued his ass? Or was I more tired than I thought?
"I have concerns about humanity's representative."
"Ambassador Osoba?" I asked.
"No. Humanity's representative to the Citadel Council."
Udina? "What sort of concerns?"
"My agents have discovered that Councillor Udina is using his authority to move vast sums of money," Valern revealed. "For what purpose, we're not sure."
"So you don't know where he's getting the money from, who he's transferring it to or what's being bought with all those credits?"
"Precisely."
Normally, I would take offense that one of TPTB was disparaging a fellow human. But this was Udina we were talking about. And he was technically part of TPTB now. "If Udina's dirty, we need to find out. If he's innocent, then we need to know before we waste more manpower and resources. Either way, it's best we get to the bottom of it. Fast."
"Agreed. Come to the Citadel. We will review the evidence and discuss this in private. Valern out."
Oh goody. Poring through stacks of digital files with TPTB. I could not wait. "Joker," I sighed. "Set a course for the Citadel."
We'd just begun our trip to the Citadel when I realized that I'd have to change. Couldn't visit a fancy-schmancy politician in my grubby standard-issue uniform. Noooo, I had to pull out the stops with my dress blues. Another reason why I wasn't so keen on wasting my time. I took the elevator down to Deck Two and walked through the CIC, doing my best to keep my grumbling and cranky face under wraps. At least until I joined Joker.
"All right," I said as I walked into the cockpit. "Let's get this over—"
"Alliance control, this is SSV Normandy, are we cleared to descend?" Joker asked, his fingers flying over the controls.
…
…
By now I'd seen him fly enough times to know that he wasn't engaged in the usual pre-docking protocols. What he was doing now was all busywork because no one was answering. Looking back at me, he shrugged, reached out and thumbed the comm channel again. "Alliance control, this is Normandy," he repeated, propping his head on his arm. "We're headed to Bay 1-4, Zakera Ward. I repeat: are we cleared to descend?"
…
…
The back of my neck began tingling.
"What the hell's going on down there?" Joker asked, mystified. "Even if there was a station malfunction they'd have backups online."
"I have a bad feeling about this," we echoed in unison. Then we looked at each other.
"Checking emergency channels," Joker said.
"This is Shepard," I said over the squad channel. "Drop what you're doing and suit up."
"Got something," Joker reported, raising a hand to his ear. "Hey! Yeah, this is Joker. Uh-huh. Yeah, no kidding. Hang on." He paused the comm feed and reached over to another console. "Commander, there's a communication from Thane. He says it's important. Think you'll want to hear this."
I was definitely feeling some tingling on the back of my neck now. "Put him through," I nodded. "Thane?"
"Shepard. The Citadel is under attack. Cerberus troops are everywhere, and they're in control of the docks."
That tingling had just spiked to a hammering. This was typical. Absolutely typical. Couldn't I have one good day? Just one? From start to finish? Why couldn't we find this out tomorrow? For the love of—"Are you safe?" I asked.
"No. I had to evade their commandos at the hospital. I'm in a Presidium storefront."
"Did Kaidan make it out?"
"We got separated," he replied. "He said he had to protect the Council. I'm going to C-Sec headquarters."
Huh. Guess Kaidan decided to become a Spectre after all. "Why C-Sec?" I wanted to know.
"It's been compromised and C-Sec's response depends on it. As long as Cerberus is holding the headquarters, they have the station."
That made sense. I should have thought of that. "Thane, we'll meet you at C-Sec headquarters. Take it nice and slow, got it? Right now you're our only contact there."
"Understood."
As I closed the comm channel, my mind was already planning the next couple moves. "All right, Joker, get us away from the docks and as close to C-Sec HQ as possible. We'll deploy in the shuttle."
"Aye aye, Commander."
As I left the cockpit, I accessed the intership comm frequency. "This is Commander Shepard. Cerberus has attacked the Citadel. Repeat, Cerberus has attacked the Citadel. All hands to battle stations. Squad members to shuttle bay for immediate launch. Shepard out."
I quickly headed back to my quarters to change into something more appropriate. As I made my way to the elevator, the lights dimmed to battle conditions. Conversations quickly dropped to crisp, efficient orders and responses. Men and women became much more serious and focused. EDI's voice began calling out from the speakers.
"Red alert! All hands to battle stations. This is not a drill. Red alert! All hands to battle stations. This is not a drill…"
(1): Hackett later admitted that he'd had his own experiences with these Rear Echelon Mother-F***ers, so he made a concerted effort to avoid following their example.
(2): Miranda sensed that Mordin's death would remind him of Ashley, who had also been under his command. Given that I knew Ashley far better than she did, she suggested I talk to Shepard in person.
(3): Garrus suggested VI-assisted tracking software as an alternative, but he admitted it just wasn't the same.
(4): Readers will recall it wasn't.
(5): I'll admit that the previous crews Shepard served with tended to stay at their assigned posts more often than not. I suspect the unique nature of this war and the impossibly high stakes motivated the Normandy's crew to reach out and find comfort in each other's company.
(6): Prior to the Reaper War, Shanxi was the only human colony to have ever been occupied by an alien race—the turians during the First Contact War of 2157.
(7): That would be putting it mildly.
(8): Shepard is referring to the proverbial phrase 'When life gives you lemons, make lemonade,' first coined by the human anarchist writer Elbert Hubbard in a 1915 obituary for dwarf actor Marshall P. Wilder. The phrase means to find optimism in the face of adversity or misfortune.
(9): Indeed. Admiral Anderson was fortunate enough to participate in a cross-species training program with the turians. His commander, Bartus Aurix, had been loaned out from the 43rd Marine Division.
(10): Miranda later told me that he was 'cackling out loud and clapping his hands with glee.'
(11): And several other individuals, including Shepard.
(12): Shepard was unable to obtain a discount at any of these establishments.